Deadly Embrace
by Pink-Amethyst
Summary: Melody Marone is finally feeling comfortable with her new vampire life. When things hea up with Christian, Melody is even content. Then she meets Seth, a typical human--or so she thinks; Melody finds herself in a supernatural battle for a deadly embrace.
1. Chapter 1

Preface

I crept out into the night, the moonlight blazing on my porcelain skin. The frost-covered grass crunched under my bare feet, scattering the pristine crystals. The light, frigid breeze whispered as it caressed my skin and whipped my satin wrap around my arms; tendrils of my hair licked my face.

"He's coming," it breathed, almost crooned. "He's coming. . ." the wind whisked its voice into the thick cover of darkness. A soft smile played at my lips as I concentrated on the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Melody?" a harsh voice whispered into the darkness.

"Yes, I'm here." My cool voice was smooth and alluring; the velvet of it pulled him closer. He stepped into the clearing, and we stared at each other amid the quiet gush of the stream.

"It's cold. Why are we here?" Seth complained. He was almost touching me now.

"This," I whispered; my eyes flashed and my lips parted gracefully over my sharp, gleaming teeth.


	2. Chapter 2

Deadly Embrace ch 1

I sighed and closed my eyes so the wind could trail itself over me. I loved this time of night: I could smell everything. The honey marinating in the trees, the dew on the grass that I soaked in, the ashes that wafted off my soon-to-be company. . .

My eyes snapped open and I bolted upright. I could sense, faintly, the rhythmic pounding of heavy footsteps that shuddered the ground beneath me. Then he appeared, ghostly against the shadowy trees, and eyed how I was spread-eagled on the grass.

"Enjoying the moonlight, Melody?" he drawled in that velvet voice of his that once made my knees wobble. Centuries of practice now made me immune to his burning gaze.

"I was," I retorted, staring at him coldly. He cocked an eyebrow. I sighed, "Go away, Christian."

"Now why would you want me to do that? I don't think you want me to," he whispered.

"In what world, you obnoxious, disgusting, arrogant fool!"

For a moment he disappeared, but I knew he wasn't gone. He was running too fast for even my eyes to see. Then he was on the ground beside me, gently cradling my face in his hands. I tried in vain to slap his hands away, but his hold on me was too tight.

"Tell me something, Melody," he breathed, and I choked on the stench of his breath. His fingers squeezed until I thought my chin would snap. "You could either marry me like your dear father so wishes, or you could be torn apart limb from limb, right"—he paused to pull me across his body so my face was inches from his—"now."

"I'll see you in hell first," I choked. The acrid stench of his breath, the mixture of smoke, alcohol, and mint, made my head spin. Christian growled and pushed me away.

"Stupid girl! Don't you see? I could give you everything you ever wanted. Instead you go play human at that stupid little school of yours while the rest of us are doing something with ourselves. You disgust me."

"Then leave me alone!"

"I can't, Melody," he continued, "you see, I'm terribly fond of you. I might just say I love you."

"You don't know the meaning of love," I spit at him.

He chuckled. A feral snarl ripped up my throat and I could feel my eyes burn crimson.

"Ooh, very impressive. Now you better run off to your little human life before we are all exposed."

He was right. I could see the orange tingeing the sky above the trees. I stood up, brushed myself off, and raced away.

"Oh Melody," Christian called suddenly at my retreating back, "if you ever change your mind, I'll be waiting."

"If you live that long," I growled under my breath as I left Christian and the forest behind me.

* * *

The monotonous day dragged on. I sat in the lunchroom and glared at the walls with distaste. The inane chatter and buzz that seemed so quiet to the humans vibrated off my eardrums and throbbed inside my head. I laid my head gently on the cool plastic tabletop and contemplated my misfortune.

Suddenly the heater blew the scent of human blood up my nose and it flowed into the core of my being. Tasha, a sweet girl whose brother had invited me to the Black and White Ball, flipped her long, thick tawny hair gracefully. The human's blood was as irresistible as it had been several hundred years ago when I became this horrible creature.

I wondered why that was. Wondered why I was so sensitive today. Why I imagined myself coming up behind these humans and sinking my teeth into the strong pulse under their jaw. Imagining how it would feel when their blood flowed through my mouth, warm and wet and delicious. Wondered why the light burned my pupils and the sounds hurt my too-sensitive ears. Why the monster that was buried deeply inside my stomach was stirring. And purring.

That's when I saw him. Well, smelled him really.

New, fresh blood.

Thirst ripped and burned up my throat and heated every particle of my body. My fingertips seared and my toes flared and my stomach twisted with longing. I regretted why I hadn't hunted, why I hadn't prepared, for I had no idea that I would smell blood this. . .new. Waiting to be consumed.

My body belonged to someone else as I got up and went to his side. When I flashed my teeth and he looked down at me and before he had time to think, I pounced. . .

I shook the fantasy from my mind and tightened my grip on the table. It's not that his blood was the most appealing in the room, simply that I had been sniffing the same blood for months when I was trapped in this purgatory. The strong scent of such fresh blood had knocked down my guard.

I sat straight up and discretely looked the new boy over. His face was only a shade darker than my pearly pallor, and his forehead was covered by a tangle of black-brown shag. I still couldn't see his eyes, so I silently willed him to turn around. Then, as if he'd head my internal calling, he pivoted and we made eye contact.

I felt my jaw drop and my eyes widen. I'd never seen eyes so blue, so deep, a gaze so intense. His eyes expanded in the same instant as he looked me over, too—taking in my otherworldly, aristocratic good looks: My bronze hair that hung in ringlets just over my chest, my perfectly pale, smooth, granite-like skin, and the swirling purple clouds that were my eyes.

The electricity quivered in the air between us, and I could feel the warmth radiating off his body, calling to me. The tremors rocked down my spine and I shivered with anticipation.

What was I anticipating? Killing him? I shuddered. I couldn't be allowed anywhere near this boy. Ever since I'd been changed, I've had almost no human contact. It was too dangerous, even if I did love him.

My jaw dropped again. The thought had slipped from my mind unconsciously, but even if I didn't want to admit it, even if I would be tortured and beaten and writhing in unbearable agony before anyone would know, I couldn't deny it.

As soon as I had laid eyes on him, I knew I loved him. The passion, the feeling that was rising inside me had been stowed away for centuries, but now it was here, and stronger. I knew that I loved him since the first breath I witnessed him taking, every beat of his heart pumped the affection and knowing deeper inside him.

How do I know this? Was it the sense that I knew him and felt him and that he was right, and only him? Was it how I longed to trace his full lips with my fingers, to lock my hands in his hair, to feel his lips crushed against mine. . .

No. I shuddered to imagine what it would be to have his pulse, his blood, his mortality so close to what lies behind my perfect mouth.

But I couldn't beat the feeling away. It twisted in my stomach and my mouth hung open and panting and I had to secure my arms around my stomach so it didn't try to escape. My silent heart longed to beat again, to pound against my rib cage and pump adrenaline deep inside my veins and so I could hear it beat again! How I yearned for that familiar pound in my arteries and to hear the pulse in my ears and. . .

Why was I feeling this way?

Was it because he had all these things that I couldn't, wouldn't? Was it because I could make him like me, so that I could stop longing for the warm weight of his lips against mine? The feel of his strong hands binding me to him?

So many questions go unanswered.

I groaned. Humans were so complicated. Maybe Christian was right. Maybe I should stick to my own kind.

I couldn't stay away from him. I would skulk in the shadows and follow his every move until he was mine. The affection flowed through me, warm and soft and delicious. I imagined life without him, and where my heart should be seared with pain and loss. Love, I thought bitterly. It was a spiraling black hole of no return.


	3. Chapter 3

Deadly Embrace ch 2

Addicted. That's the word swirled inside my head for the weeks I followed him through the town. I memorized his school schedule, his license plate number, the layout of his house. I glided silently behind him in the hallways when I was sure he couldn't see me, and I hid in the shadows when I was sure that he could.

And yet, he never shot glances over his shoulder like someone was watching him. He was not a superstitious person. That I'd learned from how I'd watched him, analyzed him, and smothered my fierce longing for him.

I did see the goose bumps raised high on his arm whenever I was I near, like he knew I was but never made sure. Like he knew everything about me and still knew nothing. Like he knew what I was but refused to believe.

All these thoughts were shook from my head when a rustle in the bushes startled me. My hands were clasped tight in my lap when Christian found me wound up on the forest floor. I needed a new hiding place. I felt my eyebrows furrow over my eyes in confusion and hate as I stared at him, and I loathed myself for liking how the moonlight glinted off his skin.

"Get out of here, Christian," I hissed.

"No," he answered simply, and plopped down on the grass beside me.

"Fine," I answered through my teeth. My mind was too consumed with decisions and thirst to make Christian a real bother. Suddenly, he was crouching over me, entrancing my thoughts with my eyes.

"You look thirsty. Why don't we get out of here," he suggested.

I glowered at him, but then he took my hand and I rose to my feet. "C'mon," he pleaded, and tightened his grip on my hand.

I wanted to protest, but soon we were flying. The soft, wet earth barely gave as I swept so fast across it I left no footprints. The breeze transformed to a gale, and I laughed in slightly giddy hysteria when it whipped my clothes around me; I pulled harder on Christian's hand, suddenly eager for the hunt. He realized what I was trying to do and we ran faster, barreling through the night toward the neon lights that marked the city. I saw the grin spread wide on his face when we neared a nightclub, and I shook my head. He always liked to make a bit of a show when he hunted. And he said I was going to expose us.

So I pulled him into a dark side street, and we slowed to an almost-but-not-quite human pace. Then music that flooded through the door of the club faded and the clinking of ice against glasses quieted as we crept silently through the town. Then I spotted my goal.

A helpless drunk was slumped against the ally wall; he had barely enough energy to lift the bottle to his lips. When it was drained, he tossed it into a pile of more broken and empty bottles and cans.

Christian rolled his eyes. He preferred to hunt healthy, strong humans, but I didn't have the heart to take their lives away from them. So I hunted people whose lives were pretty much over, hoping that maybe this will make it better. I did venture into the technique of hunting animals, but their blood didn't satisfy the way humans' did.

I recognized the sequence: my muscles tightened, my teeth bared, and excess venom flowed through my mouth and veins. My body coiled to spring, and I launched myself through the air in a graceful arc, landing without a sound behind the disoriented man.

My arms reached out and I seized him by the shoulders. My feet landed on his back, and my mouth hovered over his throat as if to whisper in his ear. My head tipped back, and I saw the slow, reluctant pulse under his jaw. Then my teeth struck out and penetrated the skin over the jugular; the smell caught my senses, and I had to remind myself not to be a savage as I quickly disposed of the human. His breath cut of without so much as a gurgle, and his body dropped to the ground by my feet, drained and lifeless.

I retched and spluttered when I was through. The alcohol that had poisoned his blood had an interesting burning sensation when it was taken in. My nose wrinkled at the taste, but the dull blistering in my throat had been satisfied.

"Are you through, Melody?" Christian's cool voice made me jump; I had forgotten he was there.

"I think so," I said uncertainly. I looked down at my outfit: not a scratch. I felt the odd sensation of a droplet of blood oozing down my chin. I hastily wiped it away with an expression of disgust clear on my face. Christian chuckled at me as he stepped forward to take my hand once again.

"Aren't you thirsty?" I asked him when he began speeding back toward the forest.

"No. I hunted yesterday," he answered with a slight smile. I could only imagine what he looked like hunting, and shivers raced up and down my spine: his eyes bright and crimson, his clothes tattered, maybe a scream echoing in the background. How he loved it when they screamed. . .

I deliberately shut the thought of it out of my jumbled head. The motion made me feel woozy, even nauseous; I had drunk so much I felt almost slushy. I stumbled a bit and almost went down; Christian had to catch me before I hit the ground.

"You know, Melody," Christian said suddenly. "I've been thinking, and I want to tell you that I've decided . . . you don't have to marry me. I realized it's a big choice for you and you obviously want options," he mused. "I'm sorry."'

"Really?" I asked, dumbstruck. We had arrived back in the clearing, so I turned to face him.

"No," he growled, then his lips were crushing down on mine. I tried to push him away, I beat on his chest and back, I slapped his face, but his hold on me became tighter.

Then my limbs went slack, and my mind swished with colors and voices. A solid picture appeared, and it caught my attention. It was me and Christian sitting in the meadow, and he was kissing me; I loathed myself for enjoying it. Then it shifted again, and I was in a snow-white veil, trooping down the aisle on my father's arm. The veil fell back around my face, and I saw Christian waiting at the altar. . .

I then realized what was happening. Christian was still kissing me, and my fingers were twining in his hair. His hands pushed on the small of my back, and he showed me more pictures: us kissing, us lounging together in the park on a perfectly cloudy day, more kissing. . .

I shivered. Christian pulled away and murmured, "Doesn't that look nice, Melody?" his voice was smooth and persuasive. My head was still spinning from the intensity of the kiss, so all I could do was nod weakly.

"That could happen, you know," he continued, tracing the outline of my lips with an icy finger.

Why were there affection and longing beating inside me? Did I love Christian now? He certainly loved me. Yes, I answered myself, I did love him, more than I ever imagined I could. In this moment, I had never wanted anything more than I wanted him.

I wanted so badly to say yes, to kiss him, to shout my newfound and surprisingly strong love for him at the top of my lungs, but then the boy's face appeared in my head, and it clouded everything else out. I shook my head fiercely. Then his finger was coaxing my chin up, and his dull purple eyes smoldered with an unfair potency. "Why?"

What was I supposed to say? I was irrationally in love with a human, and I would rather die than leave him for you? The odds of that weren't so great.

"Why?" he repeated, louder.

I shrugged.

"Then what's the problem?" he snarled.

"There isn't one," I mumbled. How I wished I didn't have to do this, but part of me yearned to. I inhaled and said, "I refuse to marry you. But does it have to be marriage right away? We. . ." I trailed off and let him think.

"You want me?" he asked uncertainly.

I nodded with conviction. "So much."

He smiled a wide grin that exposed all his sharp, glistening teeth. "Then we'll see." Then his lips were crushing down on mine, and all thoughts of the new boy faded from my mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Deadly Embrace ch 3

"Goodbye, Melody, my love," Christian called to me after he set me on my bedroom windowsill. I smiled groggily at him as he kissed my hand, jumped onto the plush grass without a sound, and disappeared into the night.

It had been five days since Christian had first kissed me in the clearing. No longer my, but our hiding spot. Where he told me tales of his demanding lifestyle (a prince's job is never done), his cold and lonely palace, and his withering prune of a father. I pitied him. Couldn't they, just once in a while, give him the life one should have? I wanted to help him escape the pressures and surveillances that went into his life as royalty. I wanted him to forget that and be my Christian.

But what about my Seth? Did I still love him? Yes. Was he the reason why I'd been holding out on Christian? Again, yes. Christian noticed my reluctance when he kissed me, when my voice faltered when I replied "I love you". . .

So many things to think about. The Valentine's Ball was tonight, and I intended to see Seth there. Did it matter when Christian's eyes had flashed when I told him, vaguely, that I had to be home extra early tonight? That I didn't tell him? I tried not to let it get to me.

I slid on the dress I had so carefully chosen—a short, strapless black mini dress with sparkles covering the bodice. The matching black heels and sequined mask went perfectly. I dropped silently out of my bedroom window and stripped off the mask. Before I raced away, I stopped and stared at my house. Its beauty and class didn't cease to amaze me after several decades of wear and tear. Most of the house was small and quaint, more like a cottage than anything else.

Beside the white shingles stood a tall and lonely tower; flowers traced patterns up the bricks all the way up to the solitary window that peeked into my bedroom. How utterly oblivious and overprotective my parents were. Like Repunzel, I thought, and laughed without humor.

The flora and fauna were mere blurs of green and brown as they whipped past me, and I slowed my pace slightly so I could thoroughly enjoy the moonlight. It burned on my skin and sent shivers deep inside my bones. I smiled and slowed to a graceful walk as I entered the school parking lot. The mask slid effortlessly over my face as I swished my way through the school doors.

For a moment I was stunned by the swirling lights and pulsing music. I raised and arm to cover my eyes and observed the safest way of entry. The tissue paper hung from the ceiling and fell into a spiraling pink waterfall over the dance floor. Masses of students jumped and swayed to the beat of the constant music under the low lights; a snack table was set off to the side for refreshments, draped in a white table cloth and scattered with roses.

But where was Seth? I looped around the room, scouring the floor and break area for him, but I couldn't see anything between the groups of party-goers. I sighed and made my way to the punch bowl: looking for him had taken up a solid half-hour and some energy.

I thought of nothing in particular: Where was Seth right now, and what was he doing? Are my parents worried if they had discovered my empty bedroom? What was Christian doing, and did he suspect me? Had he seen the flyers around town? Did he know I was here? Where was Seth? As I leaned against the table, staring absently at nothing, a warm hand brushed my arm and a soft, tenor voice asked, "Would you like some punch?"

My head swiveled around to thank the polite gentleman, and when it got there I lost my train of thought. I had dropped it into the cool, ice-blue lake of this stranger's eyes. The piercing, melting stare of. . .

Seth.

The shock was greater than anything I've ever experienced. The energy throbbed between us and bound me to him with steel cables; the strings of my heart longed to connect us as one. The feeling I'd smothered for weeks suddenly burst through all the barriers I'd set to protect it. It beat hot and strong through my veins and overcame all other senses; I had to gasp for breath and I leaned on the table for support as the feeling threatened to consume me.

All this had taken little over a second to occur; Seth and I were still staring at each other, the ladle of punch hovering unmoving over my empty glass. The lights flashed across his face, throwing his high cheekbones and the sharp set of his jaw into greater definition.

"Would you like some punch?" he repeated, a soft smile twitching at the corners of his lips, the skin by his eyes crinkling.

Then I found my voice. "Um, yes, p-please," I stuttered as his gaze scattered my state of mind, which was mostly concentrated on him. I admired the simple things: the way his muscles rippled slightly when he raised the pitcher filled with deep, blood-red juice; the way his eyes seemed to glow when he stared into mine; the way his finger twitched as if he wanted to caress my face with it.

The splash of juice into my cup brought my back to reality. I was suddenly aware of the loud, thudding music and, suddenly, the swirling scent of human blood around me. It had been insignificant before, but suddenly it was strong. I ignored the gleam the liquid seemed to have as it sat in the glass, mocking me, daring me to act as if it was what I wished it was.

Why did he make these things stronger for me? Did he like torturing me? Fate's horrible trick that the thing I love would do this to me so obliviously and innocently. I bristled and glowered, my anger enhancing my beauty in wicked ways.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked casually, but his eyes sparkled with unbidden curiosity. The blue danced in the lights as I tried to form a coherent sentence.

"You could find out," I replied, only a little shaky. He raised his eyebrows but his smile grew fuller.

"May I?" he offered and held out his hand. I slipped mine gracefully into his and we set off into the darkness. I was about to question, but he made a shushing sound and led me to a moonlit gazebo outside the school doors. He led me through the open arc of flowers. The entire frame of the structure was covered completely in white roses; their leaves shone, pale and flawless, in the stars' light. He plucked one of the many flowers off the wall and gently tucked it away behind my shining gold curls.

"Forgive me if I'm being too bold, but I feel as if we've met before," he said thoughtfully.

"Me too," I replied lamely. "I know it's crazy, but I just. . ." I couldn't put this feeling into words, but he nodded as if he understood.

"Would you like to dance?" he burst suddenly. I could hear a slow serenade spilling from the school. I hesitated, but placed my delicate hand on his shoulder. He gently entwined one hand with mine and put the other arm around my waist. As we swayed to the music, he began asking questions. "What's your name?"

"Melody," I whispered. "Yours?"

"Seth. That's a pretty name."

"Thanks. Um, Seth?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Never mind," I said quickly. He didn't prod me. Seth pulled me a little closer and we rotated in a small circle as we swayed to the music. His ivory skin went in perfect contrast with mine, soft cream or a down pillow. His stabbing blue eyes tried never to leave mine, but suddenly I was shy. I looked up and silently traced the moon, her brilliant light like a beacon of hope in my darkest days. I thanked her for watching me so well, and Seth looked up too.

"How pretty," he mumbled. I nodded my agreement. I was shy and self-conscious and unsure. I felt normal. I felt, for the first time in a long time, I felt _human. _

"Seth," I began again. He held my eyes once more. "Do you. . .do you ever want to see me again after tonight?"

"Melody," he answered and chuckled softly. "Do you?"

I didn't know if this was rhetorical or not, so I whispered, "Yes."

"Then of course. I must go now, Melody," he answered suddenly, and began to quote: "'Then look for me by moonlight, watch for thee by moonlight, I'll come to thee by moonlight--,"

"'Though hell should bar the way'," I finished in unison with him.

"Exactly," he murmured. Then, "Goodbye, Melody."

Then I remembered Christian, and my blood ran cold. Was he watching? Does he know? Where is he? Will he come to me? I shuddered if Seth was serious in his offer.

"Seth!" I caught him quickly at the gazebo entrance. "Seriously? Will you come?"

He laughed softly again. "Will I?" He answered mysteriously. "Remember, Melody: 'Though hell should bar the way'."

Then he strode away from me, a creature from hell clutching a white rose of purity to my side.


	5. Chapter 5

Deadly Embrace ch 4

"Christian!" I gasped as I swung like a cat through my bedroom window.

He whirled around and growled at me. I started, frozen, momentarily terrified. Then my nerves were calmed, and the blazing fire in his eyes was softened.

"Where have you _been?_" he demanded.

"Who died and made you God?!" for a moment I was furious. What should he care? I'd survived this long without him. Then I saw the hurt in his black eyes and I was immediately stung and chagrined. "I'm sorry. I've been out," I answered vaguely. The muscles in his forearm went taut.

"Would you mind telling me where?" He was still speaking very formally. I stiffened.

"I might. Does it matter?"

He went rigid. "Of course."

"Well. . ." I deliberated. He frowned and glared at me.

"Am I forgiven?" I asked hesitantly. His nostrils flared.

"That depends."

"On. . .?" I prompted.

"Will you tell me where you were?" his tone was innocent enough, but I could tell he was slowly burning with the intensity of his curiosity.

I sniffed. "What's it to you?"

His frown deepened momentarily, then he softened. "I suppose you're right. I'm just glad you're back. . .and that you're wearing that."

If I could've blushed, I would have as Christian took me into his arms with surprising gentleness. "Where you were. . .did it beat this?" his voice went husky as he stared at me, then his icy lips were pressed softly against mine. My arms constricted around his neck, and he lifted me off the floor with his strength of his feelings. Our lips moved fiercely together for and indefinite amount of time, like it had stopped, just letting Christian and I float into happy numbness. . .

"Well?" he sighed as he pulled away, and his hawk's eyes bore down on mine. I couldn't answer, because I honestly didn't know. He let me think for a second, and then he laughed. "That wasn't meant to be answered." But his eyes were no longer calm. "It better not have." His tone was menacing and his eyes went flat black.

"Do you love me, Melody?" his tone was light, but he still looked so frightening I stumbled in my haste to answer.

"O-of course."

"Really?" it was a rhetorical question, so I stayed silent. "Sometimes it seems like you're holding out on me. . .like I don't know what to think. . ."

My stomach twisted around itself in knots. Did he know? I had the sudden urge to run to the window and check that Seth was nowhere near here. I moved, and Christian's arms turned to a restraint. He took my chin and roughly pulled my eyes to meet his, unleashing the full power of his hypnotic eyes on me.

"You will not move an inch until you tell me something."

I head swam with fear. "What do you want to know?" I knew I sounded braver than I felt; Christian picked up the waver in my voice. He smiled and flashed his teeth.

"Were you with someone else tonight?" he asked point-blank.

I began tremble. I had to protect Seth. "N-no."

He acknowledged the lie as if I'd pointed it out myself.

"What happened to you, Melody?" he asked, his voice silky-smooth. "You're supposed to be strong. You've turned human on me." He chuckled. "Who ever heard of a weak vampire?"

_Vampire. _The word rang inside my head and pulsed behind my eyes, tormenting me, mocking me. I was a monster, and I had endangered Seth by existing. Christian looked oddly pleased when he saw my pleading face. I thought of Seth, and suddenly I was scared out of my wits for this insignificant human boy; I yearned violently to know where he is. To know he was out of reach of the single most dangerous thing to him: me.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" This voice was not mine, strangled by pain and fear.

"The boy you were with tonight."

"I don't know."

"Liar," he growled. "Where?!"

"I don't know, I'm telling you, I don't know!" it sounded like I was begging him. He smiled wickedly that sent chills racing up and down my spine. "We'll see about that," he murmured, his tone saturated with rage and anticipation.

I looked up into his face and he saw my eyes, wild with terror. "What are you going to do?"

"We'll see," he growled.

"Don't hurt him!" I suddenly screamed, the agony of my fear breaking loose.

"Shut up," he snarled. "Now, for your lies. . ."

He leaned down as if to kiss me, then suddenly struck out and a single tooth tore the skin under my neck. The burn of venom was excruciating, agony beyond anything I'd ever experienced.

It was like the change all over again, when I had writhed on the floor for days, howling. I opened my mouth in shock when every fiber of my body was consumed by the merciless blaze. My veins were already caked with venom. The flame of the poison ignited the venom already inside me, doubling the burn. Every particle of my body was on fire. It felt like my brain was frying. Through my haze I reached up and felt the teeth marks on my neck where Christian had bitten me. At my touch, it closed up as if sealing itself with my cool fingers.

"Christian!" I gurgled through the fire. "Why? Make it stop!"

His black eyes flashed and a slow smile spread across his face as I smoldered. "Don't you love me, Melody?" he asked. As if my body belonged to someone else and I was locked in a room with my solitary fire, I nodded. He chuckled. "Good."

"Don't you love me, Christian?" I blurted, begging for some reassurance and hope. "Don't you?"

"No," he answered simply.

Then the fire subsided and became bearable. But then I was lost in a downward spiral, catching on things but slipping down, down. . .

"What?" I breathed. He grinned again and refused to answer, watching my pale face with wicked amusement. We sat in silence for several slow, unwilling minutes as I tried to clear my head.

"Why, then?" I finally croaked, tired of the ominous quiet. "Why did you bother?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I was bored."

"So that's it, I'm just a game to you?" My voice sounded oddly reasonable, but inside by insides were throbbing. I knew it was true, but I hoped in vain with every fiber of my being that it wasn't. He nodded again with sick amusement twisting his face, heartbreakingly angelic. We sat in silence. The wind whistled outside my window, and suddenly there was a sound outside.

Then a musical voice, not mine or Christian's, called up to me in a serenade of sweet poetry:

"_On a moonlit night I wait for thee,_

_Impairing sense and stability._

_As I yearn for the face of an angel_

_The stars reflect my hopeful glow._

_But how long can I wait for thee?_

_Beauty beyond comprehension, arise_

_To see the love that crushes me,_

_The darkness waiting my demise._

_As the dust of my bones are swept away_

_A breeze is trilling on;_

_I waited for thee beneath the stars,_

_How I longed for you to come._

_The wind whispers to the trees,_

_My loss, my love, my sweet Melody."_

We sat in stunned silence. Christian was the first to break it.

"Well, what is this? The fool that thinks he can take you away from me?"

I recognized his voice now, musical and soft and husky and _human. _

Seth.

"Christian, don't. . ." I choked, but he was already a black figure streaking to my window.

"You don't need to see this," he quietly mused, and his arm came down hard on the back of my head. I stumbled, and Christian swung lithely from the tower. My hand grabbed at the window sill for support, and I leaned out only to see a wall of black blocking my vision. My head spun crazily.

I shuddered into a heap on the floor, drifting into unconsciousness, and a scream pierced the night as if trying to rip the stars from the sky.


	6. Chapter 6

Deadly Embrace ch 5

I didn't know how long I laid there in the darkness. It could've been hours, days, or I could even be dreaming. . . .but I didn't much care either way. My love had betrayed me, hurt me and destroyed my one connection to humanity I had left. _Seth. . . ._my mind groaned his name weakly. _Christian. . . ._I sighed, letting his name wash back all the comforts of love he has given me. I remembered his sweet kisses, the bone-crushing tightness in which he held me, and the way he looked at me. I remembered his velvet voice, every line of his perfect body, and his pale, otherworldly beauty.

"Christian," I breathed, and I begged my feeble cry to be enough to bring him to me. My eyelids felt heavy, like I had just awoken from some deep slumber, and then I remembered the scream. "Christian," I whispered again, but it was angry this time. I wanted him to come here, within my reach. He had hurt my Seth. My chest ached with the longing to see them both.

Then I realized I _could _see them, if there was anything left to see. My hands pushed against the hard stone of the floor, and my muscles screamed at me to stop, but I worked until I was halfway upright. My head pounded and seared on the back, and was heavy like it was stuffed with cotton. My legs were like jelly, like they couldn't support me, but somehow I managed to get up. I stood like a statue, letting the swimming in my head subside. _You're turning human on me, _Christian's smooth voice purred in my head. I wondered why I was so weak. My skin seemed to be losing the substance and power of granite it used to hold. I was so weak. . . . What was wrong with me? I reached out to my bed, fumbling with the light, amazed I couldn't see in the dark anymore. I blinked into the sudden brightness and looked around. The moon was glistening outside my window, as pale and pristine as ever. A cool breeze whipped through the opening, inviting me into its icy arms.

I looked down at the rumpled dress I had worn to that fateful night at the ball, the place where my Seth had waited for me. I thought of Seth, my chest begging for oxygen when there suddenly was none. I needed to see him. I ripped the black satin over me head and threw it onto the floor in the corner; it landed in a heap of rags and ragged edges. I put on skin-tight jeans and a sleek black turtleneck. I pulled my hair back in a simple and elegant twist. I imagined my face in the moonlight, ghostly against the forest, gliding along the damp earth until I reached my prize. Should I go and see what was left of Seth? Or was my need to see Christian stronger?

Christian's face flashed in front of my eyes: his angelic features twisted with wicked amusement as I burned, his stature unreal in its beauty. He held himself tall and sure, and he flashed his gleaming teeth. A fire that burned like desire smoldered deep in the pit of my stomach. I had to see Christian now, so he could love me. I was irrationally buoyant as I slipped closer to the window and peered down at the black ground. I perched on the windowsill, contemplating if my weakness had taken over my balance and healing aspects. _Only one way to find out, _I mused, and there was suddenly air rushing around me.

I landed on the grass with a barely audible thump. I glanced hesitantly toward the house, where my parents lay sleeping. Vulnerable and human, their love for me was only strong enough so I could stay here. They needn't be in this mess. They weren't strong enough for my world.

As I began to escape into the forest, a horrifying thought floated into my head: _Then again, neither am I. _I shook that from my mind and ran faster, begging for an escape, and let the night swallow me up.

* * *

"Christian," I murmured, making not a sound as I crept through the trees. "I know you're here." There was a shadow moving on the ground, flickering in the streaming moonlight. A smile played on my perfect lips when I realized how close he was. My arms longed to hold him. Then he was there, not inches away, his eyes a brilliant crimson. I staggered back when I saw him, really saw him: his bones were jutting out against his alabaster skin, the shadows beneath them seeming endless. His bronze hair was tangled in a heavy mass against his forehead. I refused to look into his cold, amused eyes that marked his for what he is.

"You haven't fed in a while," he remarked as he traced a cool finger over the bruise-like shadows under my eyes; I shuddered at the word "fed." Before I could think on this too much, I grabbed his hands and pulled myself to him, a low moan in my throat. He kissed me back but it was anticipating, not like he was really happy to see me. My hands felt along the wide edge of his shoulders, clutching myself closer when he tried to pull away. His arms went around my waist in a snare. My hands refused to leave his face as he stared me down.

"Christian," I breathed, tightening my grip on him. The sweet perfume of his breath fanned across my face and overshadowed everything else. I forgot what he had done to me, to Seth, to what we had. All I could see was his face and all I could feel was his arms around me. "I love you," I mumbled, "you kept me waiting too long."

"I'm glad." His fingers took a fistful of my hair and brought my lips to his with a speed that was painful. They ripped at my hair and pulled it out by the roots, but I didn't complain. All that mattered was that he was kissing me back. His lips were stone, polished like marble against mine, and they bit and squeezed with surprising pain.

My brain was suddenly blank. It took me a second to realize he was using his gift to cloud out my mind. I realized I didn't want this. But my heart yearned for his arms. I battled with myself: weighing my love for him against the pain he had caused me. But love and lust don't always keep the same company; I found myself pressing myself closer and gasping for air when I should have been fighting him off. My head swam and I went limp in Christian's arms. His gift was too powerful, had worn me out with the intensity of what was inside my head. Christian squeezed and shook me like a rag doll, trying to force a response out of me. His hard fingernails raked against my throat, my shoulders, propping me up and crushing me to him.

I felt the cool edge of his teeth hunting along the edge of my neck, looking for the perfect spot. The tooth mark suddenly burned, like it could sense its creator there. I fought back a scream.

"Wait," I rasped, "Christian, don't."

"Why?" he murmured silkily.

"Not now," I gasped. Christian released me with a fierce glint to his red eyes.

"Fine. I'll be in your room." His feet twisted away, but he reached out and stroked his finger tips against my cheek. "Don't keep me waiting too long, my Melody."

He let me go abruptly, and I almost sagged against a tree as he raced away.

* * *

The shadows of the trees lengthened as the moon crept higher into the sky. I skulked through the forest, searching, yet only now do I reach my destination. The house seemed minuscule next to the towering oaks of the forest. I knew which window was mine, for I had watched him countless times as he made his way here after school. My silent heart ached to see him again. _Seth is right here, _I comforted myself. I leaped agilely through the branches of a tree and stared down the window I was supposed to enter through. My eyes zeroed in on the tiny space between the window and the frame; I was relieved I still had my vision. The glass was smooth and wouldn't make a sound if it were kicked open. I placed my feet very carefully on the edge of the branch and waited until the wind grew particularly loud. Then I flew through the air, the window gave under my feet, and I was inside.

I hesitated, though there was no way anyone could've heard my silent landing. I was hunkered in my low hunting crouch, making not the slightest of sounds as I looked around. Behind me, someone inhaled a low gasp.

"Melody?" Seth breathed.

My entire body went still. I had seen no light, so I wrongly assumed he was asleep.

"Melody," Seth repeated, but this time it wasn't a question. I winced and slowly turned to face him. He was sprawled out on his too-small bed, his hair rumpled and his flannel pants twisted around his legs as if he were having a nightmare. He wore no shirt. My gaze was meek as I looked anywhere but at him.

"Wow," he whispered, astonished. "You came."

"You say that like you were expecting me." My voice was as smooth and supple as satin. I heard the tempo of his heart spike.

"Well, I came to you. Now it's your turn." He flashed a white grin.

"I wanted to make sure. . . .you were all right," I murmured. He nodded as if this made perfect sense.

"I'm fine," he assured me, but his voice had the waver of a bluff. I looked closely at him. He seemed all right, until I looked into his eyes. They were the usual striking blue, but something lurked there. The ghost of a recent and terrifying memory. His stance was off, too: he was curled slightly inward, very protective.

"Seth," I managed in a horrified whisper, "what did he do to you?"

"Who?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"You know what I'm talking about. I can see it in your eyes, Seth. You're afraid."

"No," he mumbled, but his voice broke.

"You know what this means? You'll have to leave, Seth. Hide. Somewhere where he could never find you. Please."

"It'll be fine," he assured me again. "You should go," he said in a hard tone. I nodded and, with a small wave goodbye, swung myself outside.

My head was clouded as I ran swiftly through the black forest, but I knew I had more important things to think about: Christian was waiting for me. I shuddered.

"Ah," he sighed when I entered my tower, "you're here." He held his arms out in the most desirable invitation. My eagerness was embarrassing as I flew into his arms. He wasted no time with talk, and immediately wrenched my chin up until my entire pale throat was exposed. His lips trailed along my skin, looking for purchase, and he whispered, "He can't hide. You know that, don't you?" Of course he knew exactly what we were talking about, like he was inside me.

He gave a low, throaty laugh before his teeth penetrated my skin; I could feel the immediate burn of the venom spreading inside me. He whispered menacingly, "There is no place on this Earth where he could go and I would not find him."


End file.
